Bronx, NY – Dec. 10, 2012 – The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo will be the highlight of the holiday season with the return of the Salute to Wildlife Ice Carving week, presented by Chevrolet Traverse™. The week-long celebration includes professional ice carving demonstrations, wildlife-themed ice sculpture displays, an interactive play area, and the Salute to Wildlife Ice Carving Contest.

Zoo-goers are invited to watch the professional ice carvers work on their wildlife creations and check out the array of ice displays including a giant ice throne for photo-ops and an interactive play area featuring a 25-foot ice slide.

In addition to ice carving fun, there will be holiday-themed displays and entertainment throughout the zoo, including the Bronx Zoo’s 4-D theater playing the new holiday classic Polar Express 4-D Experience through Jan. 6.

Guests of WCS’s Bronx Zoo will have the unique opportunity to watch as artists turn blocks of ice into glistening statues of animals.

Cost: Free with admission

Dates: Wednesday – Sunday, Dec. 26 – 30

Time: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Salute to Wildlife Ice Carving Competition

Guests of WCS’s Bronx Zoo will watch as ice carvers test their skills in a competition of creativity as they sculpt artistic interpretations of wildlife out of blocks of ice. Everyone can vote for their favorite sculpture and help choose the winner.

Cost: Free with admission

Date: Friday, Dec. 28

Time: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Ice Sculpture Play Area

Giant Ice Throne and Display – This giant chair makes for the perfect photo opportunity for guests as they sit on the giant walrus-themed ice throne.

Cost: Free with admission

Dates: Wednesday – Sunday, Dec. 26 – 30

Time: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Note: This activity is weather-dependent

Marine-Themed Ice Play Area with Ice Slide – The ice slide kids will enjoy sliding down the 25-foot long slide carved out of solid ice through the sculptures of waves, island rocks, sea turtles, sharks, sea lions and more.

Cost: Free with admission

Dates: Wednesday – Sunday, Dec. 26 – 30

Times: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Meet-and-Greet the Pajanimals from Sprout™

Meet Apollo and CowBella from The Pajanimals on Sprout, the 24-hour preschool channel.

Cost: Free with admission

Date: Saturday, Dec. 29

Time: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Crafts – Sponsored by Sprout™

Kids can show their thanks to the men and women of the U.S. military by creating a holiday card and help Sprout’s Kindness Counter reach one million acts of kindness.

Cost: Free with admission

Date: Wednesday – Sunday, Dec. 26 - 30

Time: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, 5:30 p.m. weekends from April to October; 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m November to March. Adult admission is $16, children (3-12 years old) $12, children under 3 are free, seniors (65+) are $14. Parking is $13 for cars and $16 for buses. The Bronx Zoo is conveniently located off the Bronx River Parkway at Exit 6; by train via the #2 or #5 or by bus via the #9, #12, #19, #22, MetroNorth, or BxM11 Express Bus service (from Manhattan that stops just outside the gate.) To plan your trip, visit bronxzoo.com or call 718-367-1010.

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.